Sunday Strategist: A Week of Healthy Dinners - September 4 - 8

If you like having a healthy meal plan but want something customized to your dietary or caloric needs, check out The Cooking Light Diet. It’s a calorie-driven weekly meal plan—breakfast, lunch, snacks, and dinner—based on your dieting goals and food preferences. Look for one on a newsstands to find more delicious dinner inspiration.

If you like having a healthy meal plan but want something customized to your dietary or caloric needs, check out The Cooking Light Diet. It’s a calorie-driven weekly meal plan—breakfast, lunch, snacks, and dinner—based on your dieting goals and food preferences. Look for one on a newsstands to find more delicious dinner inspiration.

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August 16, 2017

1 of 5Photo: Caitlin Bensel

Monday: Shrimp Fried Cauliflower Rice

This five-ingredient main is a great way to get more seafood into your weeknight rotation. Seek our shrimp that's free of sodium tripolyphosphate (STP), a common preservative that significantly boosts the sodium in your shrimp. Can't find riced cauliflower? Make your own by pulsing cauliflower florets in a food processor until crumbled. Easy!

Tuesday: Quick Chicken Picatta with Parslied Orzo

Sautéed lemon slices intensify the flavors of the pan sauce and make a beautiful garnish. Cook the orzo while you bread the chicken; while the chicken cooks, spread the orzo on a baking sheet to cool and to keep the grains from sticking together.

Thursday: Steak Salad with Butternut Squash and Cranberries

A summer classic leans into fall with roasted butternut squash, tart-sweet dried cranberries, and fresh rosemary. Find peeled, diced fresh butternut squash in the produce section. You can sub crumbled goat cheese or feta for the blue cheese and walnuts or pecans for the hazelnuts.

Friday: Skillet Mushroom Mac and Cheese

If classic mac and cheese is already a staple in your family dinner rotation, give this skillet version a try. Whole-wheat elbows add a serving of whole grains; we love it here because the noodles are sturdy enough for boiling, simmering, and baking. Mushrooms can often be off-limits for picky eaters because of their sometimes soft, spongy texture. Here we sauté shiitake and cremini mushrooms until deeply browned, with a texture that’s almost meaty—a great feat for a meatless main (you could also use diced broccoli florets).